Emptiness
by Alahnore
Summary: No many were willing to go the lengths Duke was to save this world. Beneath that stoic mask, he found that both pathetic and incredibly sad. \\ Duke-centric.


_I shall turn into the end of this world without life and death…_

For all their cries for salvation and supposed desires to remain in this world, the humans have done little to nothing to prove they deserve to stay. Though his lifespan is but a drop in the ocean compared to the Entelexeia, what Duke had witnessed, seen, even felt or done himself made him turn his back on his supposed kin; humans were inherently selfish, proud and arrogant. They were foolish, chasing after what they should not have simply because they could. Some chases were innocuous, but others have led to the deaths of thousand who never deserved such cruel fates.

And in the end, humans dare to fear what they themselves always desire.

They scream for those with too much power to be put down to death. They scheme against their own kind to obtain it. Duke had seen this so many times, had suffered because of it so many times… seen so many die because of it. He was tired of it. The hypocrisy, the consequences of it… the fact no one would face those consequences except for those who already were crippled by the selfish greed of others.

Is this what it meant to be human? To sacrifice innocence at every turn? To spill blood to validate sins?

This cycle had to stop. He would make it stop.

_I shall turn into the creation of a world without death and life…_

There was a time, long ago, before humans walked the earth and Terca Lumireis was a beautiful and pristine world. Duke had heard the tales from Entelexeia of old, from his own good friend. The aer was in harmony, the land unscarred and the water clear. The night sky was always full of shimmering stars, undeterred by the shimmering rings of barrier blastia. The natural cycle of life kept things in balance. There was no aer mutations, no explosions of predators.

When humans emerged, they became a part of that cycle. But it was only humans that developed the selfish ambition to beat it. To escape it.

Duke did not begrudge humans' desire to survive. All living things had such. But they took it beyond survival. Humans did not want to survive, they wanted to dominant, to conquer. Only humans would breed and cluster together to form armies to go to war with other humans. Only humans pillaged their own knowingly, cheated them, purposely beat their sick and young down in hopes they'd die off so the richer were richer.

Humans were amazing creatures, Duke knew… but they were also the vilest and disgusting beings to exist.

_I shall change, to put to death the darkness of humanity…_

When Zaude emerged, when the Adephagos was released, Duke knew then that the hope he had placed in that man and his friends, in that last Child of the Full Moon, was futile. They had failed in every sense, even when given the tools to carry out their desires. They might have stopped Alexei… but they were far too late. Just like he was too late to save his friend.

Duke had failed so many times now. While they were the ones who did not make it in time, ultimately it was Duke's failure. He should have stopped Alexei. He should not have allowed that Child of the Full Moon to live to be used as she was. His innate human weakness, that optimism he was once told was an admirable trait, had led to the world to be in danger all over again.

This time Duke swore to make up for it all. His failures, the failures of humanity at large. He made that promise, and he must carry it out. Sins must be washed in blood… The humans had done it so much there was no other way.

And so he would use that age-old way that they themselves devised to destroy the Adephagos, the very catastrophe they birthed. All humans, and even himself, would finally repent for their misdeeds and disappear from the world. And finally… it just might heal.

_The death of the land shall occur, and stop the humans that destroy this world…_

Not many were willing to go to the lengths Duke was to save this world. He found that both pathetic and incredibly sad. Humans would rather cling to their ways, to destruction and despair, than to make up for their mistakes and face their consequences.

But here, on top of Tarqaran, none could hide. None could cheat their way out of punishment, bribe hands with shiny coins or throw others before them in hopes to be spared. Duke would spare no one. Even if it branded him a demon, to sacrifice all… it had to be done. Just one human remaining could bring out the same threat of destruction. Just one ambitious soul could bring about the deaths of millions. He had seen it so many times.

Duke was human, even if he turned his back on humanity. He was prone to the same mistakes, the same failures. He knew, better than anything or anyone, that all had to die. Humans were fleeting moments in the life of the world. The world birthed them and all they had done was mutilate her. Maybe one day Terca Lumireis would give life to them again. But now, they had to make up for what they did.

Every single one of them.

_Oh, end of the world! Oh, end of the world! Oh, end of the world, I wish you go on!_

_Oh, creation of the world! Oh, creation of the world, dye this black land!_

* * *

**Author's Note: **Lyrics used as scene breakers are _theorized_ lyrics and translations of _emptiness_, the prologue of _EXEC_overMETHOD_SUBLIMATION/._ song from Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. Lyrics and song property of Akiko Shikata and GUST; translation props to folks at A Reyveil's Melody forums.


End file.
